All Blacks head coach Ian Foster not convinced on Retallick red card

All Blacks head coach Ian Foster isn’t convinced with the call to issue a red card to his experienced lock Brodie Retallick.

Retallick received the card in the 65th minute of a close test against a strong Japanese side. The card was given for a breakdown infringement when Retallick made contact with the back of Kazuki Himeno’s neck while attempting to clear the Japanese No 7 from his position over the ball.

Himeno was a disruptive threat at the breakdown throughout the match, securing two turnovers and slowing down New Zealand’s ball.

The play in question saw Himeno in a great position to earn himself another turnover as he latched onto the ball following a tackle on Anton Lienart-Brown, the flanker saw Retallick approaching and dipped his head to take the contact.

Foster shared his views on the play during a post-match interview with Sky Sport NZ stating there was ‘no intention’.

“We are going to have a good look at it,” he said. “I certainly didn’t see any intention, apart from trying to move a body.

“That’s a process we will have to go through.”

At the time, Referee Nika Amashukeli discussed the facts of the incident with the TMO, stating Retallick had approached the ruck with pace and made ‘direct contact with the neck’, describing the play as having a ‘high degree of danger with no mitigation’.

Foster’s statement implies the team will review the play and perhaps question the call officially with an appeal to World Rugby.

Retallick could face a suspension if the red card decision is upheld by an independent committee, reducing the All Blacks’ leadership group even further since Sam Cane and Dane Coles returned to New Zealand following the match with injuries that will see them miss the rest of the team’s Northern Tour.

Foster was very complimentary of the Japanese side after the game, while admitting the match was a tighter encounter than he wanted.

“They [Japan] are a really good team, and we were coming off a long break. That, I guess, made a game that turned out to be much tighter than what we would have wanted,” Foster commented.

“But it was a great performance by them. They pressured us, they came back after that first quarter and showed a lot of spirit.

“But, again, new combinations for us – exposed to a bit of pressure, and came through.”